01/30, 5:30pm

MasterCard alludes to next iPhone having PayPass

MasterCard's emerging payments leader, Ed McLaughlin, may have been inadvertently pushed into fueling the offand on rumors of the iPhone getting NFC (near-field communications) support. When discussing adoption in an interview with Fast Company, he made the unusual statement that he didn't know of any phone maker that "isn't in the process" of implementing MasterCard's PayPass NFC system. When pressed on whether that included Apple, he stopped short of admitting a partnership but implied that Apple was a partner.

10/26, 9:15am

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Curve 9360 OK for PayPass

RIM had the distinction of providing the first phones to use a SIM card that support MasterCard's NFC-based PayPass tech for short-range wireless payments. Both the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the Curve 9360 can, with the right apps, pay at a store just by tapping a receiver. The account will be attached to the SIM card, not the phone, and let users swap phones with the same account, although it may create issues with switching carriers.

09/19, 4:45pm

Google Wallet now live with more cards, one phone

As hinted earlier, Google Wallet on Monday went active for real users. The service in starting off will still work on just Citi MasterCards and the virtual Google Prepaid Card, but is now opening to rival cards. American Express, Discover, and Visa are all making their NFC specs available to let banks add the cards to the mobile payment system.

09/18, 10:30pm

Google Wallet gets hard launch date

Google is finally expected to switch on Google Wallet on Monday after unveiling it four months earlier. Partners are receiving a notice telling them that the NFC (near-field communications) tap-to-pay service will be ready to use anywhere a MasterCard PayPass terminal is active. Although a few NFC-aware phones have launched since, TechCrunch understood that the Nexus S 4G running Android 2.3.4 would still be the only phone to support it at first.

07/05, 3:25pm

Apple patent on NFC Macs published at USPTO

A new USPTO patent filing has revived rumors that NFC-based Mac-to-iPhone syncing is in development. The patent for an "electronic device with conductive housing and near field antenna" would have a computer or any other display-equipped device carry spiral antennas to pick up near-field communications from a smartphone or other mobile device when brought close. Its example design, which resembles an iMac or a similar computer display, would work with multiple devices put typically within about four to eight inches away.